Secretary-Press
Artist
William Seay
(American, active 1780s - 1810s)
Dateca. 1790
MediumWalnut and yellow pine
Dimensions108 1/2 x 45 x 22 1/4 in. (275.6 x 114.3 x 56.5 cm)
ClassificationsDecorative arts
Credit LineGift of Mrs. Philip S. Moore, Jr., in honor of her father, Louis Jordon Smithwick.
Object number63.90.1
Terms
- Chippendale
- North Carolina
Collections
On View
On viewLabel TextWilliam Seay American, active ca. 1780s–1810s Secretary-Press, ca. 1790 Walnut and yellow pine The cartouche in the center of this cabinet bears the carved letters “WH,” the initials of prosperous North Carolina planter Whitmell Hill (1743–1797). Around 1790 Hill commissioned Bertie County-based joiner William Seay to build and furnish a new manor house for his nearby estate Palmyra. This imposing piece shows both the vanity of its owner and the ambitions of its maker, who carved vines, scrolls, and open-work flames on the pediment in imitation of the elaborate crests atop Chippendale-style high chests from this era. These design elements brought echoes of Philadelphia and London sophistication to rural northeastern North Carolina. Gift of Mrs. Phillip S. Moore, Jr., in honor of her father, Louis Jordan Smithwick 63.90.1
ca. 1790